Shaped knitted collars and methods of manufacture thereof



April 25, 1961 s. LUDWIG 2,981,036

SHAPED KNITTED COLLARS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF Filed Nov. 17, 1959 m m M AWL AWL INVENTOR.

$401. lUDW/G BY M M M inexpensive to utilize.

United States Patent ice SHAPED KNITTED COLLARS AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE THEREOF Saul Ludwig, 12 S. Mountain Ave., Montclair, NJ. Filed Nov. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 853,485 Claims. (Cl. 66-172) This invention relates to shaped knitted collars and the methods of manufacture thereof. More particularly, the invention pertains toa knitted collar possessing a cape portion having tapering edges for style effect which may be simply and efficiently manufactured.

Knitted collars have been prepared with cape portions having tapered leading edges by' knitting a generally rectangular collar and then by full fashioning techniques, knitting shaped leading edges thereon. Such techniques, however, require the addition of extra needles to the standard rib knitting machines utilized, and result in considerable lost machine time while knitting the tapered cape section with considerably higher costs,

It has been found that a knitted collar having a cape portion with tapered leading edges integral therewith may be produced by a method which is both simple and In accordance with this invention, a shaped knitted collar is provided which comprises a generally rectangular knitted fabric including a neck band portion and an integral cape portion in which a roll welt is knitted intermediate the two portions extending through A to the member of wales in the collar, the rolled welt serving to contract only the cape portion in the region of the welt by the number of held loops therein and permitting the edges of the cape portion to taper transversely of the collar, outward from the ends of the welt to the ends of the collar.

The method of the present invention is provided by rib knitting a plurality of courses to form the rectangular neck band portion of the collar, knitting a roll welt intermediate the ends of the neck band portionextending through from A to /4 the number of wales in the rectangular fabric, and rib knitting a plurality of courses in all of the fabric wales to form the cape portion of the collar, which portion is contracted transversely of the collar in the region of the roll welt, thus producing tapered leading edges for the turndown cape portion of the collar.

The present invention may be more readily understood from a consideration of the attached drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of a knitted collar manufac tured according to the invention; a a

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view looking at the face of the knitted fabric of the collar of Figure l, in which the loops of yarn are enlarged and separated so as to show their relationship; I

Figure 3 is a schematic cross-section of the'knitted collar of Figure l, with the fabric folded about the roll welt, taken walewise through the collar.

As shown in Figure ;l, the knitted collar of the invention includes a neck band portion 11 and an integral cape. portion 13, intermediate which is a roll welt 12. The provision of the roll welt intermediate the edges of the collar serves to contract the caperportion 13 in the immediate region of the welt and to taper the collar transversely outward from edge 16 to the leading edges 14 and 15, creating a desired style effect and eliminating the-necessity for applying full fashioning techniques to 2,981,086 PatentedApr. 25, 1961 form the edges 14 and 15. The extent of taper is dependent upon the number of courses of held loops in the roll welt, as will hereinafter become apparent. In

one collar manufactured in accordance with the inven- 5 tion, the edge 16 of the cape portion extended 2% inches from the fold of the collar while the edges 14 and 15 extended 2 inches, accounting for a taper of greater than The collars of the invention are continuously knit on a rib knitting machine withthe needles preferably disposed in a one and one arrangement. The dial needles knit the back wales 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 (see Figure 2), while the cylinder needles knit the face wales 2, 4, 6 and 8. As the first courses are fed to the machine, the neck band portion 11 is formed with all needles of each bed knitting on every course and forming held loops in each of the back wales 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 and each of the face wales 2, 4, 6 and 8. The neck band portion, formed in a 1 x 1 rib, is obviously rectangular in shape.

Thereafter, the roll welt 12 is knitted by procedures known to the art. The welt is formed in a number of the wales of the fabric intermediate the ends thereof. On either side of the roll welt the formation of the continuous wale structure is continued. Thus, as shownin Figure 2 where a portion of the fabric to the left of the roll welt is shown, the needles of both beds continue to knit in each of wales 1 and 2, for example. To the right of these wales the roll welt is formed, the cylinder needles continuing to knit the face wales 4, 6 and 8 at every course while the dial needles are withdrawn and hold their loops, as shown, for example, in United States Patent 2,153,423, for a number of courses. may be formed in the back wales 3, 5, 7 and 9 after any desired number of courses have been knitted in the face wales. As shown in Figure 2, we have found that the knitted fabric is desirably contracted when the dial needles hold their loops for 5 courses; such roll welt produces a desirable taper in edges 14 and 15 without revealing any exaggerated protuberance inthe knitted fabric.

The roll welt is only knitted through A to- /1 of the wales of the rectangular fabric, 'It has been found that the most desirable degree of contraction of the collar transversely of the welt, and thus the most desirable taper of the leading edges of the cape portion, is achieved when the welt is knitted through the center of the fabric and extends through /2 of the wales thereof.

Thereafter, the cape portion 13 is knitted to complete the shaped collar. Such portion is formed by knitting a plurality of courses of l x 1 rib fabric, each course holding the loops in each of the face and back wales. 'On completion of knitting the required number of courses of the generally rectangular cape portion, it will be observed that the held loops of the backwales 3, 5, 7 and 9 of the roll welt 12 contract the cape portion transversely of the collar producing the desired taper.

Figure 3 shows an elevation of the collar when it is attached to a knitted sweateror the like, and shows how the roll welt 12 may conveniently form the fold of the collar. The partial roll welt of this invention performs this function as well as the whole roll welts previously used to facilitate folding.

The edges of the collar may be left raw, or seamed, as desired. The preferred 1 x lstitch may, of course, be altered to produce two sided or rib effects, and the collar may be otherwise ornamented by known tech niques. 70 Since different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above descrip- Held loops lameness tion.or,,shownin.the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

.l. A shaped knitted fabriccollar'comprising a plurality, of courses of yarn, .each having face and back wales, andincluding a neck band portion comprising a number of courses, eachcourse comprising held loops in-each of said face and back wales, an, integral roll welt comprising a number of courses of held loops in said face wales for each course of loops in said back wales, Said roll welt extending through from /4 to the number of said back wales, and an integral cape portion comprising a number of courses of held loops in each of said face and back wales, said cape portion contracted transversely of said collar in the region of said roll welt by the held loops of said back wales of said roll welt.

2. A collar as defined in claim 1, wherein said roll welt includes five courses of held loops in said face wales for each course of loops in said back wales.

3. A method of knitting a fabric composed-of a plurality of courses, each having a plurality of wales, in the shape of a collar having a neck band portion and a cape portion comprising, in combination, the steps of rib knit- :ting a plurality of courses to form a rectangular neck band portion, knitting a roll welt intermediate the ends of said neck band portion extending through from A to the number of wales in said fabric, and rib knitto form said cape portion,.said last mentioned portion being contracted transversely of said collar in the region of said roll welt.

4. A method of knitting a fabric having face and back wales in the form of a shaped collar including a neck band portion and a cape portion comprising, in combination, the steps of rib knitting a plurality of courses of yarn to form said-neck band portion, knitting a roll welt comprising a plurality of courses of held loops in said face wales for each-course of loops in said back wales, said roll welt extending through from A to the number of said back Wales, and rib knitting a plurality' of courses, each course comprising held loops in each of said face and back wales, to form said cape portion, said cape portion being contracted transversely of said collar in the region of said roll welt by the held loops of said back wales of said roll welt.

5. A method of knitting as defined in claim 4, wherein said roll welt extends'through about /2 the number of said back wales.

ReferencesCitedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,082,779 Buchholz June 8, 1937 2,201,980 Artzt et al, May 28, 1940 2,584,834 Bevins et a1. Feb. 5, 1952 

